For a full service airline, I think this is ridiculous concerning my request for refunds due to compassionate reasons. Below is official statement from Cathay and they care more about fairness than compassionate reasons.
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Thank you for completing our online feedback form on 17 February 2013.
Please allow us to advise that Cathay Pacific does not have a policy for compassionate and/or emergency cases. In order to remain fair and consistent to all our passengers, we have had to decline numerous such requests due to different personal reasons. We understand that each request made is valid and that each situation to the individual concerned is special, however, to make an exception to any one passenger would mean that it would be necessary to make exceptions for all.
Mr Tan, we fully appreciate that an incident of this nature could not possibly have been anticipated by anyone, however we are unable to accede to your request for any further refund and regret any disappointment caused.
Thank you for contacting us and we look forward to being of service to you again soon in the near future.
Yours sincerely
Vikas Dhyani
Customer Relations Executive
Customer Relations Department
Cathay Pacific Airways

is caring about "fairness more than compassionate reasons" really that ridiculous?
I think the rep gave a fairly good explanation of their policy and their reasons for doing so. They do run a business you know?